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for @Damien ;)
How unfortunate it was that the girl had been spared. He wonders how she would feel knowing she that her death - or lack of - would have saved another from his bloody crusade. It did not bother him, the tides of fate would return a victim to him in the place of the wench who had remarkably escaped his wrath. The events of the day sent his mind adrift, his focus bouncing around from introspective idea to the next like he was shot out into open space with no gravity to hold him down. Fantasions of reclaiming the dark woods and executing those who betrayed him hit him out of nowhere and all too harrowingly; indulging too much, too soon. He would not allow himself to entertain ideas that had once become his downfall, ideas that he knew were the delirious side effects of bloodlust rather than concrete goals. 

But his self-assurance that Blackfeather Woods meant less than dirt to him did not help his curiosity. No sooner did he find himself lingering only a few yards out from its borders, standing without expression as he stared silently at the ruins of his former glory. He felt many things at once, but yet, felt nothing at all. The shadowed structure in the distance meant nothing to him, yet everything at once. It was his legacy, but it was his death. The sentiment churned something dark within him, and following a small voice of caution within his mind, he turned the other way and began to slowly retreat from the wood's sight. It was then the scent hit of the man hit him, rendering him frozen dead in his footsteps, utterly haunted by the memories that flooded back in its wake.


With his head low the Prince of Darkness stalked the southern reaches of the forest. After the war, Relmyna’s incident, learning of the attack on the twins and now with Astrid to take care of Damien had enough reasons to be over-protective of the packlands as they were. Too many dangers lurked awaiting a chance to take a bite of what was left of Blackfeather Woods, and now more than ever it felt like a family of which Damien was responsible.

For hours Damien walked, slithering among the shadows as if he was part of them. The sounds he made were minimal, and if not for his scent Damien would have been untraceable. But he was keen with that sense in particular, and as he moved towards the western reaches he picked up a trail that he could never mistake, and he could not believe it. With a rushed pace Damien sought the borders, keeping always to the shadows and eventually he found the pale, icy figure oh his nephew standing just a few yards away from the borders. Had it not been for his madness Damien would have seen the man grow into the beast he was today. Broad shoulders, thick layers of fur and scars covering every inch of him as vestige of his savage ways.

They do not expect your return, nephew said the shadow-cloaked prince as he revealed his position. Vaati reminded him of Bane. Not only for his pale, brutish looks, but also for his reputation. The child would have been such an asset under his guidance and Damien curses himself for failing to fulfill his role as guardian. I promised your mother that I would take care of you and your siblings… I failed to keep my word, he admits as a way to apologice, but he couldn't change the past.

"They do not expect your return, nephew."

Vaati turned to cast his eyes upon the estranged man, unable to feel the sense of familiarity he knows he should with the other. The sentence alone was likely the most words his uncle had ever spoken to him in his life, he briefly considered, and instantly felt that his distant expression was justified. "And they should not." He snapped coldly, vividly recalling the events that caused him to hold such a disdain for the woods he once called home. Utterances of broken promises and owed remorse meant nothing to the man. Not now, not when Vaati had long grown out of expecting apologies from anyone that had wronged him. While it would have been easy to blame his uncle for allowing his mother to fall from grace, Vaati knew quite clearly that Potema had dug her own grave and had laid quite contently in it. In the end, Vaati had found his own way in the world, without the guidance of anyone. It had destroyed him, forced him to grow up faster than he deserved, and ultimately wrecked what chance he had to become more than the Woods demanded... but nevertheless, it had made him stronger. 

"Is she alive?" The question broke minute of the silence that had settled between them, for the answer was perhaps the only thing he considered to be of some value to him that was tied to Blackfeather Woods. His mother, regardless of her abandonment, was still his mother. If she was indeed dead, it would not come as a shock to him. The last he had seen of her was a ghost-like figure, teetering on the edge of reality. She had been wasting away, and Vaati had done little to stop her. She hadn't wanted to be stopped. But what became of her was something he had to know, for his own sake rather than hers.


They shouldn't?

The thing was, some of them feared Vaati's return even if they did not admit it. But what use could such a wolf have? Vaati had done unspeakable things and the pack had paid for his savage ways, but that didn't mean he was a monster. In Damien's opinion, which was the only one that really mattered, Vaati was an a force to be reckoned with who needed proper guidance.

Damien could be that guidance. In fact, he had to be.

I couldn't know for sure... he admitted. Potema was among the wolves that had strayed from Blackfeather Woods after the war, and like the others, Potema's whereabouts were unknown. The pack's numbers have suffered after the war. Your mother and her last litter are among the ones missing. he revealed, and although it was in fact his fault Damien couldn't really blame the young savage. Damien's focus had a tendency towards rage, and the only target in his mind were the wolves that had brought suffering to Blackfeather.

We will find them. We're the Dark Brotherhood, that is what we do. he assured with an air of confidence and a hint of promise in his voice.

His mother had abandoned Blackfeather Woods. Either Vaati's absence had truly been so harrowing to the woods, or she was simply, dead. Vaati made his peace with that. Yet what caused him to scoff was not the news of the wood's dwindling numbers - he had expected that - but the talk of the Dark Brotherhood, like it was something to be proud of. Now, it pitifully consisted only of halfwits and the elderly, unable to live up to its reputation nor hold any attention. Blackfeather Woods, the Dark Brotherhood, it was all obsolete in his eyes and existed as nothing more than what the claimed to be. It needed to die, to fizzle out silently, and with it all those who turned their backs on him. "The Dark Brotherhood is a sham, and has been for a very long time. I know where my younger sister is and I could not care less about the rest." His words are cold and unforgiving, holding no impression of doubt or guilt. He means everything he says, and holds no internal qualms about it. "Blackfeather Woods got what was coming to them, and one day they will burn for their betrayal. Take that as you will." In his voice, he holds his own promises. Not vows he is particularly ready to uphold on, but a prophecy that was written in stone and sworn over his soul.


Only rage comes out of the pale berserker's mouth, and Damien observes with keen eyes as his nephew poured the contents of his heart. In Vaati's words Blackfeather Woods was but a sham destined to doom, and he seemed to think that only worse was headed its way. But the thing that really picked Damien's interest was the mention of Vaati's sister. She was a twisted thing, an abomination that had forced her way to this world, but she was blood of the purest kind and Melonii's belonged to Blackfeather Woods. One had to respect a man confident enough to speak in such manner to the very prince of darkness, but in this case Damien couldn't agree more with everything that was said.

Betrayal. The entire history of Blackfeather Woods is tainted with its foul colors, said Damien broodingly. But what was peculiar, and most important about that truth was that every single time Blackfeather Woods had been betrayed it was the work of anyone but a Melonii. Blood is the only thing we can trust, he stated, and he meant him.

Come back to us, nephew, he begged knowing that he would be unable to forgive himself for not trying. Too many times he had allowed his family to walk away from him, and never had a single good thing come out of it. Come back and we will burn what's rotten and build an empire on the ashes.

It was interesting to hear that his uncle supported his notions, it wasn't what Vaati expected. Neither did he expect the extending arm of peace to be offered to him, to return to the woods where he was born and died, and burn it to the ground. The latter was all he really yearned for, if he was to be quite honest with himself. If he was to pretend to be in good graces with a few meagre pawns to see Blackfeather crumble... that was something he would not be above. He had once believed that blood ran thicker than all things, but even blood had turned his back on him. Vaati would not play the fool once again and give in so easily to the temptations that had once nearly killed him. There was only one thing that really mattered. "Who sits on the throne?" His inquiry avoided the answering the proposal Damien had laid before him, but neither did he disregard the offer. Placing himself in a position of leadership once more was not worth the trouble and time, but doing what he could to bring ill to the woods was all he had thought of for many months. Perhaps now was the time of follow through, if the cards were laid out in his favour.


Not quite a response, the words that Vaati spoke in return were clear and to the point. From them Damien could infer that his nephew was actually considering his offer, and that alone was a win for the dark prince. From that point all it took to get what he wanted was offering a deal good enough to get the other male invested in his plan.

Kove holds it for now, but as I said, the numbers are low and the pack struggles. Damien informs, trying to make it sound as if Kove's destiny was already decided. It wasn't, but Damien had a pretty good idea of what he wanted to do with Blackfeather Woods. Kove is not a Melonii, he adds for flavor, suggesting that his claim was not nearly half as good as either of theirs.

The narrowed furrow of his brow is enough to express the point that he is less than pleased at the current leadership arrangement. Kove had stood idly by as Vaati had been challenged by an outsider, someone who had threatened to viciously rape his siblings who were but children at the time. Kove was therein, a traitor in his eyes. A traitor who had been waiting all along for Vaati's downfall, at the expense of the pack's sanctity. Through gritted teeth does Vaati respond, "No, he is not." From a child, Vaati had known the difference between the Melonii bloodline and the commoners. It had been clear that the family who had established the dark woods would always have a place higher than the rest, regardless of rank or skill. Despite having severed ties with the woods, it irked him to the bone that his legacy was now being carried by not only a traitor, but an outsider. Vengeful spirits beckoned him in, whispering fantasies of destruction and chaos descending upon the parasite that was Blackfeather Woods, and he found himself wanting it more than he wanted blood. The pack was struggling, but it was not gone. And Vaati wanted to be the one to do it. "I will burn Blackfeather for you, but my condition is his death. If I join you, I will have his head." Nothing would change the young man's mind, for Damien had planted a spark within his mind that would not slow its burn for anything.


At first Damien smirks, he's getting there, and he can see the spark ignite in Vaati's oceanic eyes. Rage was perhaps the only fear stronger even than love, at least for hot blooded creatures like themselves, and it seemed that Damien had hit just the right spot. But suddenly he's hit by Vaati's condition, and his heart skips a beat. NO! That's not supposed to happen! Kove could be a commoner, an outsider, but he had remained loyal to Meldresi and Blackfeather Woods for years. He was NOT to die, not by Damien's command, and simply allowing it to happen by another's fang was nowhere near being more acceptable.

No he said, with iron hard resolve before realizing that he needed to be careful with his choice of words. Kove is a dark brother, I will not allow you to kill him, he added, carefully picking the words not to seem weak. Kove was a friend and he was loyal to the Melonii bloodline, and in all honesty he was dearest to Damien. Yet still he understood why Vaati would want his head. It pained him to say it but after a moment of brooding consideration Damien concluded: If he doesn't give up the crown peacefully in due time he will be banished.

At least that way he would preserve his life.

The sharp no presented an issue to Vaati, as he seen no other option that would make way for the demolishment of the Blackfeather Woods. Chopping the head off the leader would be a quick and easy feat, only under the condition that he had the impressive weight of support behind him which would allow him to do so. Vaati could not walk blindly into the dark woods and demand the crown, whilst surrounded by those who had indirectly cast him out and likely, no longer viewed him as one of their own. It was stupid, and stupid was no longer his tactic. "If I challenge him, I cannot promise I won't kill him. If I challenge him and he is banished, I cannot promise I will not hunt him down. That is the way it is, it is what Blackfeather has become." There is no honour among them, not really. The sense of loyalty and duty had no longer existed in Blackfeather Woods when he abandoned their sinking ship, and he held no doubt in his mind that they had not changed. Damien lived in a past life where the Dark Brotherhood meant something to anyone. That was no longer the case, and for those who had been around to see its greatness before its downfall, was a hard pill to swallow. "He is no blood to me, and I am no dark brother. But I will support your claim, and this is the way I will do it... unless blood means less to you than you say." He would not budge, flipping his uncle's words on him to either further drive the wedge between them or come to a compromise. Something needed to be done, something that would rip them apart leaving no chance of putting the pieces back together. Perhaps if Damien did not allow it, he would find a way on his own.


It seemed that at least on that much Damien and Vaati would never agree. Kove meant enough for Damien to defend him, however Vaati was blood and Damien didn't want to drive him away by standing against him. Hard desicions kept coming Damien's way with every step he took towards his goal, but perhaps that was just part of being a leader of change.

Vaati was a stern creature, hard to argue with for Damien who would stand right where his nephew was if not for the relationship he had with Kove. It had been the same with Burke and going through the challenge of stepping up to him had been the most difficult thing ever. Vaati wouldn't know that, and that was exactly why he didn't understand why Damien had his reservations on a violent upheaval.

How can you support my claim if you don't agree to my terms? questioned Damien, triggered by Vaati's attempt to use his own words against him. He had it all wrong. I don't want you to challenge him, Vaati. I only want you to come back home and help me build it back up the right way. Kove might be the Master of Blackfeather Woods but only we can uphold Meldresi's vision, that is what we were born to do. All we have to do is be patient and Kove's regime will perish, and to be frank we won't need to worry about Kove for too long, the man was old and not long for the grave. Then they could move on with their plan and the tenets wouldn't be violated.

Blood means everything to me, it would be foolish to think otherwise. But I am faithful to the Brotherhood and its tenets, and killing him would make me a traitor, explained the dark prince as he tried to bring the conversation to more rational terms. We cannot continue to be mindless savages, we need to be clever if we want to be successful and murdering a leader for whatever reason does not set a good foundation, he said as his voice grew more serious. He needed Vaati, he needed him to understand that there was already a plan, and he needed him to know that Damien would not allow him to mess with it.


To be frank, Vaati had no interest in serving the dark woods nor its beliefs. What dedication he had for it was in seeing it fall, and by no means did he enjoy entertaining the idea that he would play part in seeing it rise once more. However, what his uncle presented before him was an opportunity to see it do so, only under the condition that he play along quietly. It was fair, he knew that, even if it did not presently suit his desires. Vaati did support Damien’s claim to the dark woods, yet it was foolish to assume that the scale of anarchy they currently devised would go down as any other coup. “Except this is not simply a challenge, uncle, it is a revolution.” And would need to be treated as such. 

“Blackfeather Woods cannot be rebuilt unless it is first destroyed… and I will not wait around for that traitor’s natural death to see it come to pass.” In that belief, Vaati was wholly invested. Vaati waited around for none and had never before held back his claw for the graces of others. Yet, there was still the underlying fact that he could accomplish none of this without the support of his uncle. The realization quickly came that he could not move forth without appealing to Damien’s interests, at the expense of his own. He knew he needed to prioritize his ambitions since it was clear he could not have both at the same time. Kove’s death or the Wood’s destruction? What mattered more to him, he wondered internally. The answer was both, yet one held precedence over the other. Kove was just a man, but the dark woods was a soul-sucking entity that needed to be surrendered to its timely death as soon as could be.

Perhaps he did not need to internally agree with Damien’s loyalist mantra - there would always be an opportunity to accomplish what he desired once the woods had fallen. To go along with his uncle’s plan until his own path veered from it seemed to be the wisest option, for now. Through gritted teeth did he offer a compromise in the place of flat-out rejection to his uncle’s terms. “Perhaps he does not need to be killed. In the event that he should oppose the destruction of what is rightfully ours by blood, you must agree to have him run out. It is merciful, if you ask me.” Vaati knew how to play his cards. While Damien was right, the woods needed to become more than just reckless impulsivity, Vaati knew in his heart that a purge of all things associated to it was necessary - save for a few select individuals of course. All greatness he had known had been born out of chaos, after all.


There was no denying it, Vaati knew how to pick his words. He had a point, a very good point that almost made Damien trip on his own convictions but mostly because they were just as passionate. It was true, they weren't simply challenging Kove, they were about to start a revolution, they were about to burn everything to the ground to start anew and the only thing standing between them and their goal was Kove.

Honor is an overestimated value.

But honor was Damien's most sacred rule. Without honor there is no value to any actions and he wasn't going to throw his life-long axiom down the drain to gain his radical nephew over. And apparently there would be no need for that. Damien almost squinted at Vaati's sudden change of mind but said nothing. Damien had started to think he would have to reach a middle ground to convince Vaati that Kove's death wouldn't solve anything, but instead his nephew agreed with his former suggestion of banishing the old man for honor's sake. He called it mercy.

I don't do it for mercy. No soul is worth our mercy. I do it for honor. he explained, planted on his words, and through his voice could be sensed the lucidity with which he spoke. But I promise Kove will be banished. After that he will not be a brother and should he come back you can have his head, for honor. The rules are what they are.


“No soul is worthy our mercy”

Vaati liked the sound of that. Perhaps he had misjudged his uncle’s willingness to see the dark woods fall, for clearly honour was a fickle creature indeed. Vaati had very little of it, and what he did, it was to himself. It shouldn’t be a surprising notion; he had learned to become quite self-serving in the aftermath of the war, finding no peace in the service of others. And yet, he pledged his tooth and claw to an uncle he once scorned, for a cause he had once vowed to leave behind. How interesting fate was, the man chuckles inwardly to himself within the confines of his thoughts, and briefly wonders what else the unholy gods may send his way. Damien grants him the reward of ending the pale man’s long life should he rebel against the new Melonii authority, and a signature machiavellian smirk behinds to dance across his lips, before he nods to accept the conditions. “In that case, you have yourself a deal.” Vaati quips his brow amusedly, rather satisfied with the conclusions they had come to. But he does not stick around for long, promising to meet his uncle at the water in a few short days time. There was still the matter of the Skullchaser predicament, and Vaati would not simply abandon one venture for another. Perhaps the spine of the cretin who had dared to maim his sister would be the first to decorate the borders of the new and improved Blackfeather Woods, if Damien’s plans were as mighty as his words.


And Damien watches him part without much of an expression on his stoic features. Their deal was a fair and honorable one and Damien hoped his nephew would be able to stay true to it. He doubted that Kove would be so foolish to come back looking for trouble, but in the remote chance that he actually lost his mind and showed up after his banishment Damien would have no moral standpoint to prevent his execution. Damien would mourn on such a day.

But for any of that to be even remotely consequential the night prince had first to put a plan in motion. One last step rested before he could do it, and his lover and him were ready to take the risk. Dark days awaited Blackfeather Woods, dark days that would mark its new dawn and would place the base for what could be, if built correctly, a new empire.